Gorillaz Stories For The Win
by Gorillazloveryaaasss
Summary: Just some random Gorillaz one-shots that I wrote when I was bored. Enjoy :)
1. Chapter 1

One-Shot #1

(Phase 4)

Okay, so this is my first one-shot, and I know that it makes absolutely no sense in the context of the story.. But I decided to add in a new character, Syd (2D's daughter) into the story, so that I can write some one-shots about 2D and her bonding and such when he first meets her in phase 2.

The windshield of the submarine was clouded as it slowly crawled towards the surface, the salty deep blue starting to vanish. Through the glassy eyes of the above water binoculars, Murdoc could see that the coast was clear. The ocean was a barren and desolate wasteland whose only inhabitants could not be seen. It was a foggy night, but a perfect one to the occupants of the Stylo Submarine. Murdoc, 2D, Russel, and Noodle were all crowded within the interior, eager to see what was just above the water's surface. Finally, the sub's windshield rose above the waves, only to reveal that a forcefield-like dome of fog surrounded them, blinding the area to their eyes.

Everyone in the room groaned in annoyance. "God dammit Murdoc," 2D said. "You've got us lost again! Do you even have a god forsaken map?!" Murdoc turned away, but couldn't conceal his embarrassment. 2D's fully black eyes shut in disbelief. "You don't even have a MAP? Where the hell did you learn to drive?! Or let alone operate a fully functional submarine?"

This was too much for Murdoc. "WILL YOU SHUT THE BLOODY HELL UP? I'm trying to concentrate here! If YOU weren't a pain enough, I've lost my bloody map!" Everyone jumped back. Murdoc's outbursts were like an extended family gathering. They were nothing new, but you didn't want to be a part of it anyway. So everyone just went back to wandering around the submarine, trying to look for anything to do. It was then when they finally got their relief. "Wait a second…" said Murdoc. "I think I've found something!"

Everyone raced to the glass window to take a look. And indeed, there was something. Off in the distance, they could see a faint outline of an island, pink and blocklike. They rejoiced over seeing this. "Finally!" Said Russell excitedly. "I thought that we were all going to die on this ridiculous boat. Plastic Beach, we meet again!"

"What did I tell you?" Said Murdoc proudly, a sharp-toothed grin creeping across his face. "You all said that I couldn't operate a shark sub? Well look over here! Boys and girl, we are at point Nemo!" As they moved closer to the island, the fog started to clear. But what they saw was much different than what they had pictured. Fires, burning down the island where the ashes had seemed to lay dormant for years. The pink paint that Murdoc had once coated the island in was covered in soot. The studio where they had once made music was now gone, burned to the ground. Around it they could see that debris was floating all around the island, bound to orbit the seas by invisible ropes.

The submarine was dead silent. Nobody dared make a sound. What had they come for in the first place? They knew what had happened that day, when the Boogie Man had shown up. Murdoc remembered his covered face perched smugly on his neck, as he stood gracefully on the roof of their headquarters. Black clouds appeared, and formed themselves into pirates determined on destroying the island and murdering the inhabitants. Murdoc remembered especially the bloodthirsty, murderous eyes that he could see through the Boogie man's red goggles attached to his gas mask. Planes had surrounded the island, dropping their bombs onto the surface, all isolated by a sheath of smoke and fire. Murdoc had dived into the building for safety, but he was blinded by smoke and could hear nothing but loud explosions and the sound of shouting.

Of course they remembered all of that. But why was it so painful to all of them to see their past home, where they had once produced one of their own albums? Why was that? Russel and Noodle had only seen the island once. Both of them were lost at sea but only showed up when the bombing attacks had ceased. They all climbed through the opening on the roof to get a look. They all stood, wide-eyed, looking at the shattered glass and rubble gathering around their submarine, like moths to a light. Murdoc walked to the edge, his dirty boots barely grazing the edge of the water. He bent down, crouching over the ocean in a daze. His hands wrapped around a small piece of swollen wood as his sharp and grimy fingernails sunk into it like teeth. There they stood for many moments, trying to contemplate what they were seeing. All at once, Murdoc paused, then stood up. All of the band members could see streaks where there had been tears. They had never seen Murdoc cry before. He held the small piece of wood tightly, then threw it across the barrier between the island and the submarine. The small piece of wood struck a small structure that had withstood the fire, which collapsed and disintegrated instantly into a pile of soot.

There they stood in blank silence as they took it all in, until they heard a loud splashing sound behind them. They turned around, only to see a blank spot where 2D had been standing. Immediately they knew what had happened. All three of them hastily leaned over the side of the boat to see a blue haired, long legged figure moving closer towards the bottom of the ocean. All three of them jumped into the water, trying to catch up with him. The salty water stung their eyes, but they still pressed on. Soon enough, they had caught up with 2D. All three grabbed onto his long limbs, but he struggled violently. Bubbles erupted from Murdoc's mouth as he tried to scream at him, but nobody could understand. Eventually, they wrestled him to the surface. They all caught their breath, coughing out the seawater in their throat.

All at once, Russell started to yell. "WHAT… THE…. HELL… WERE YOU THINKING?! Just jumping into the water like that? You could have died!" But 2D only turned to face them, revealing tears streaming down from his 8-Ball eyes.

"I- I s-saw her…" He managed to stammer out. Everyone went pale. They all had forgotten one tragedy. 2D's 10 year old daughter, Sydney, had been killed in the Rhinestone Eyes incident. She had been bombed by a black cloud member, her body lost in the smoke and flames. 2D had screamed so loud, banging on the windows of his underwater room as he saw his daughter being destroyed. But there was nothing he could do. He had pulled on his chains, trying to break them from the wall, but nothing worked. They never found her body. Now, Russell pulled everyone back onto the sub as he hugged 2D and tried to console him, as he was still crying hysterically.

They were able to drag him back into the submarine as it returned to the depths of the deep blue water below. He sat quietly in the corner, with puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks. Nobody said a word as the sub went on, plunging deeper and moving quietly as it cut through the sea. The only sound was the engine whirring softly underneath them. Noodle didn't like the tension, and she wanted to tell a joke to lighten the mood. But seeing her friend in so much pain, she decided to keep quiet.

Guilt overtook Murdoc's soul as he remembered all of this. He was the one who had put the chains on him. This was all his fault. A small mist coated his eyes. He felt like crying. Stop it Murdoc, he thought. You are a grown man. You shouldn't be crying like a sissy. He pushed his emotions away and drained the tears from his eyes. Once again he became the cold, shielded, unfeeling person that he was before.

2D pulled out his painkillers, and took a few. "Man," Russell said, "You gotta get rid of those painkillers. You're popping them like sweets now! It's not healthy. I know that your upset, but taking so many of those doesn't help at all." Russell now had a worried look on his face. 2D refused to heed his warning, and took a few more. Russell looked away sadly. He might not be able to save his friend from the influence of his drugs.

This made Murdoc feel even worse. His friend might overdose because of him. What he did. 2D might have been able to save his daughter if he wasn't bound to the chains that he had put there. Locked in a room with no escape. All at once, Murdoc stood up. The submarine jolted to a halt, and he captured the attention of everyone in the sub, except for 2D. All he did was stare at his shoes and the water stained floor. Murdoc walked over to 2D, his Cuban heels clicking on the tough metal tile. He sat down next to 2D, and pulled him into a tight hug. Everyone was surprised by this. 2D looked up at Murdoc, and managed to force a weak smile. Murdoc smiled back.

Okay, so there's number one, I hope that you guys enjoyed it. Plz review cause I wanna see what you guys think about it and I would like to get some criticism so I know what to change. Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for the next one-shot!


	2. Chapter 2

One Shot #2

(Phase 1)

 **Okay, so this one is a bit confusing. Noodle will be speaking in Japanese a few times, so when she does the translation will be put next to it in parenthesis (like this). Let's go!**

Noodle shrank back in her seat on the couch. It was a Saturday morning, meaning that they had almost nothing to do. Everyone would kind of wander aimlessly around the house, stopping for moments to do a few things. For Murdoc, this was like picking up a drink or a cig (if he was up for the day, which was rare), for 2D it was playing a few notes on his keyboard or melodica. For Russell it was getting something to eat or picking one of Murdoc's rumbottles from the floor. But Noodle never had fun on Saturdays. She would pick up something like a toy or a Pokémon card, but quickly become bored and drop it on the floor. And what could you expect from a nine-year old?

It had been a few months since they had released their new album, and therefore they didn't play as many shows, so she had gotten used to the blandness of the Saturday mornings. But today, she was more bored than she had ever been. Now, she was sitting on the couch with a bowl of cereal on her lap, unconsciously spooning the bites into her mouth. Noting that the bowl was now empty, she sat up to bring it to the kitchen. There, she was startled by a blue-haired, tall figure standing blankly at the counter. He turned around, seemingly acknowledging her presence there.

"Good morning, luv," he said with a wide smile on his face. "Do ya wanna do som'fing?"

Noodle smiled back. "Hai. Anata wa nanika kangae wa arimasu ka?" (Yes. Do you have any ideas?)

2D, however, just stared back at her with a confused look on his face. Noodle then remembered that she had to speak in English, because nobody could understand her Japanese speech. "Yes… any. Um, idea?" She didn't even understand her own words, but Stuart seemed to get them. He looked deep in thought of what they could do. His face lit up.

"How about we go into town! We could go shopping for some toys, go to the park, and have a fun time!" Noodle Jumped up and down excitedly at the idea. There was one roadblock, however. They had nobody to drive the car. Noodle was obviously just a child, so she couldn't drive. Because of Stuart's head injuries, he was not permitted to drive for the safety of the people in the car, and Russell, though he had a driver's license, was not permitted to drive in England (only America). The only one who could drive was Murdoc.

They both shuddered at the thought of asking him permission. But, it had to be done. But Noodle had an idea. She knew that Murdoc had a soft spot for her, even though he tried to hide it sometimes. She got one of those cheeky smiles on her face, and 2D knew that she was up to something. "Toochee… uh, stay." Noodle said, motioning that he needed to stay put.

2D nodded, and she climbed clumsily down the many stairs that wove around the house. She halted when she spotted a large figure towering over her. The figure lifted her up into its arms. She was relieved to see that it was only Russell. "Woah, woah, woah, slow down! Where do ya think you're going, baby girl?"

"Toochee, me… uh. Go in town, need Mud-oc. Um… drive." Russell realized what she was trying to say, and set her down softly.

"Good luck with him," he said. "He's been stuck in his filthy Winnebago all morning. But if he says yes, well, have a good time with Stuart." He shrugged and walked off in the other direction. She continued her long journey down to the car park. She eventually reached the bottom level, the place where all of their vehicles were. She then cautiously moved closer towards the Winnebago, moving closer to the rusted door. She pounded heavily on the door, trying to overpower the sound of Black Sabbath being blasted through the speakers. She heard Murdoc singing gruffly, and giggled at how ugly his voice was.

She yanked the door open, only to double over laughing seeing Murdoc dancing around with no shirt on. He was jumping up and down, banging his head while clumsily doing obviously dated dance moves from when he was a kid. He showed no acknowledgment of her being there, so she decided to take in the moment. She started to dance with him, rocking her head up and down like he was. He saw her dancing like this, but decided to keep dancing. He even danced with her. He picked her up in his arms and started bobbing up and down, while she rocked her arms and waved them in the air. When the song was over, he set her down carefully on the floor.

"Noodle, dove, what are you doing down 'ere?" He asked, with a suspicious look on his face.

She grinned innocently. "Toochee to watashi wa kyō machi ni detai to omotte imashita. Watashitachi o soko ni oikomu koto ga dekiru yuiitsu no anata. Anata ga watashitachi o tsurete iku koto ga dekiru hōhō wa arimasu ka?" (Toochee and I wanted to go out into town today. Your the only one who can drive us there. Is there any way you could take us?) Murdoc just stared back at her with another confused look. She tried to connect the words to make something he could understand. "Toochee and Noodle… uh… town. Um… a Mud-oc. Uh, drive.

Murdoc rolled his mismatched eyes and sighed. "Alright, but I'm not staying. You can tell face-ache to call me on a pay phone when you lot want to be picked up." Noodle jumped up and down in excitement. She tried to drag Murdoc out of his Winnebago, but she was unsuccessful. "Dove, I've got to put on a bloody shirt! I'll meet you and face-ache out by the Geep." She nodded, and began climbing up the stairs to fetch Stuart.

20 MINUTES LATER…

All 3 of them had successfully made it down to the Geep, and they were on their way into town. She had only been there twice, and both times she had not had much time to look around. The first time she had gone clothes shopping, and the second time she had joined Russell on one of his many trips to the grocery store. They were flying past other cars in the Geep, everyone honking at them for going too fast. Noodle sat in the back, hair being whipped around underneath her radio helmet. 2D had permanent shotgun called, and Murdoc was obviously driving in the front.

They entered the town square, a large shopping center with a grand movie theater and hundreds of small and large stores to explore. Noodle energetically hopped out of the car after Murdoc had parallel parked (more or less) very clumsily. 2D stepped out, and Murdoc waved them off. "Have a nice time," he said sarcastically, and sped away.

"So luv," 2D said, "Where do ya wanna go firs'?" Noodle scanned the area only for her gaze to be captured by a Japanese game store. In the front window there were pictures of Pokémon and other things that he knew Noodle loved. "Tha' place?" He asked. Noodle nodded happily, and she dragged him over there. She became wide-eyed with excitement when she stepped inside.

"Did ya remember your pocke' money?" He asked? She nodded and pulled out a small wallet with a Pikachu on the front. Inside were several hundred dollars which she had partly earned, a few hundred from some chores she did, and the rest was inside of the crate she was shipped to Kong in. She wasn't sure where it came from, or why it was there, but she figured that it was for her. "Well darlin', let's take a look, yeah?"

She immediately pulled him towards the game consoles. She looked around, seeing the Gameboy advanced, a PlayStation 2, and a few other small gaming consoles. She decided on the Gameboy advanced, and picked out a few games to go with it. They went up to the counter to purchase the items, and luckily nobody asked Stuart about his eyes or hair, aside from a few strange glances from the cashier. She charged them 115 pounds, and Stuart had to help her count out the money. They left the store, Noodle happily carrying a bag with her games and new console. 2D smiled at her childish grin as she pulled him towards another store.

30 MINUTES LATER…

They had been shopping for a while now, and they had been to a lot of stores. They picked out some new shoes for Noodle, black combat boots (Murdoc said that they might look good on her, when they were shopping a few weeks ago), and a pair of red sneakers that had wheels on the heel. They also picked out some new toys, like beyblades and a pack of Pokémon cards. They were now chatting and walking around the plaza. Noodle saw 2D's face light up as he saw something.

"Hey luv," he said. "How would you like to go see a movie?" She saw him gesture towards a sign that was standing outside the movie theater. It read: Replay of: DAWN OF THE DEAD! (Dawn of the Dead was one of 2D's favorite movies) She saw it and knew that he would want to go. She loved the movie too, and became very excited that it was being replayed at the fancy movie theater.

They walked into the elaborate lobby to see that it was decorated like a palace. Large marble statues lined the wall, the entrance was made out of pillars, and there was a red carpet rug. They knew it would be an expensive movie, but they didn't care. They walked up to the ticket booth and asked for two tickets for Dawn of the Dead. The tickets were very expensive, at 200 pounds. But Noodle insisted on paying with her own money, and 2D knew better than to fight her. 2D has done so much for me, Noodle thought as she handed over the cash. He deserves this. They got free snacks with the tickets, so they each got a large bucket of popcorn and a ridiculous amount of candy. Boxes upon boxes piled their tray. They figured that they could take home the rest, and stash it away so that Russell and Murdoc couldn't get to it. At this point, there were cameramen and paparazzi trying to sneak a photo of them, but they were being held back by the staff at the movie theater. They had been recognized and followed all day, but they managed to ignore the constant questions and boom microphones being shoved all around them.

They entered the dim movie theater, to get to their front row seat. The movie was about to start, they had skipped all of the previews. Noodle sat next to 2D, and nuzzled into his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her, and the movie began.

1 HOUR AND 30 MINUTES LATER…

They left the theater in excitement, 2D loved seeing his favorite movie again. They all had permanent smiles frozen on their face, it had been such a great Saturday. The sun was setting now, and they needed Murdoc to bring them home. So they set off in search of a pay phone. They eventually found one next to the game shop from earlier, and 2D dialed in Murdoc's number.

A raspy, gruff voice picked up on the other end of the phone. "Who the hell is this?"

"It's 2D and Noodle. We need you to come pick us up."

"Fine." Murdoc put down the phone.

20 MINUTES LATER…

The Geep pulled up on the curb of the store, the tires squeaking and dusting a black powder into the air. Murdoc gestured for Noodle and 2D to get in, and they followed suit. They drove in silence for some time, until finally Murdoc spoke. "So, did you lot have a good Saturday?" He asked.

2D and Noodle looked at each other in agreement. "Yeah!" They said in unison.

 **Soooo… that was number 2! I hope you guys enjoy. Sorry if these are a bit short, my next one will be much longer than the last 2. Plz Review!**


	3. Chapter 3

One-Shot #3

(Phase 2)

 **Hey Guys! I hope you enjoyed my last chapter. It was a lot of fun making it. Also, HAPPY 2018! Hopefully we have a better year, full of new Gorillaz music and crap like that. Anyway, here's my new chapter! This one's set in the beginning of phase 2, and Noodle is about 14 years old. Keep in mind that she basically missed some of her own childhood, so she acts more like a 9 or 10 year old. Also, there is some grossness in this chapter if you're squeamish, just as a disclaimer. Let's go!**

Noodle awoke abruptly from her bed, the ribbon of light shining in her eyes through the windows. She groggily sat up from her resting spot, the cold morning air seeping through the open window. Dammit, she thought. Why didn't I close the window last night? She reluctantly stepped out of bed, sliding her feet into her Japanese sandal slippers, and walked slowly towards the window.

With great effort, she was able to close the window, blocking the cold air from returning to the room. She shivered, it was certainly not much better even with the window closed. She buried herself under her comforter, trying to warm herself and stop the shaking. Her head was pounding now, and she wished that 2D was around so she could take some of his painkillers. Her throat was dry, and she let out a few heavy coughs. She decided to go back to sleep, and she closed her eyes.

2 HOURS LATER…

Noodle's eyes opened for the second time, and she peered over her pillow to check the clock. It read: 12:43. She groaned and slipped into her slippers again, and decided to head downstairs for breakfast. Her head still hurt, and her throat was still sore. She went into another coughing fit, but it ceased very quickly.

She reached the kitchen, only to be confronted by a shirtless Murdoc burning some eggs. She wondered if he would be in a good mood today. "Good morning, Noods," he said with a smile as he dropped an egg on her plate. It appeared that he was in a good mood. She smiled back. But his face fell into a confused frown as he looked at her. "Are you okay, dove? You look really pale, and you have bags under your eyes."

She waved him off. "I'm fine," she replied. "Just have a case of the mornings." She stared down at her over-crispy egg. She really wanted Russell's cooking, but he was going to New York to visit his friends for a few days. And 2D was visiting his mom for the weekend, so she didn't have his companionship. It was just her and Murdoc for a few days. It wasn't too bad, but most of the time he wasn't there, probably at a bar hitting on girls. And when he was, he barely said anything. Plus, he was an awful cook.

All of a sudden, she went even paler than she was before. She felt something rising in her throat, and she scrambled to a restroom. Murdoc noticed this, and quickly followed her in close pursuit. When he got there, she was leaning over a toilet and vomiting. Murdoc placed a hand on her back while she made terrible noises, being interrupted by moans of pain. When she finished up, Murdoc went up with her to her room, and told her to get some rest. He needed some time to discuss with Russell what to do. He called him up, and explained the situation.

"Yeah, she threw up all morning," he said. "I'm not really sure what to do. I've never taken care of a sick kid before, what the fuckin' hell do I do with her?"

"Just give her some medicine," Russell replied. "Also make sure that she only eats plain food. I'm sure you don't want to deal with her throwing up again."

Murdoc nodded and hung up after saying goodbye. He then started making his way down to face-ache's room. When he went in, he groaned in annoyance. The room was messy beyond belief, with clothes strewn out all over the floor, with a bunch of vinyls and records just waiting to be stepped on. After tripping over several piles of shirts and shoes, he finally reached the medicine cabinet. He rolled his eyes as he saw only a few pills left in the prescription bottle, even though they had just refilled his prescription a week ago. He pulled out the bottle along with some stomach flu medicine, and retreated back upstairs to Noodle's room.

As he walked in, he was greeted to the sight of Noodle leaning over a bucket vomiting until he was convinced that she had vomited up her organs. He walked awkwardly towards her and held out the bottles. "Hey, Nood, I brough' you some medicine. Here's something for ya' headaches, and you should take some of this too. It's gonna help a lot," he said. She nodded and shakily grabbed the bottle with a fragile hand. She brushed some hairs stuck to her forehead with sweat away from her face. She grabbed a glass of water and took the pills and the stomach flu medicine. Murdoc watched her intently, with a concerned look. She then crawled into her bed, head still pounding. Murdoc closed the windows and turned off the lights, taking one last look and then closing the door.

3 HOURS LATER…

"Hey, luv," she heard a soft but gruff voice say. She opened her eyes too see Murdoc leaning over her, shirtless and with a cigarette in his mouth. She dipped her head back under her pillow, not wanting to ever leave. But Murdoc was persistent. Even she knew that. He shook her lightly and said, "Hey, you need to get up. I made some soup, and you need to eat something." She groaned in exhaustion but complied, putting her bare feet on the cold floor. She followed him down the steps, hair frazzled and still wrapped in a blanket. They reached the kitchen, and he told her that she could take the soup and eat it on the couch while watching TV. She nodded happily, as she was usually not allowed to do this because Russell wouldn't let her. She drowsily grabbed the soup with shaking hands and glided across the room, her blanket messily draped across her shoulders.

She sat down on the plump, soft couch pillows and reached a hand over to the side of the couch to turn the TV on, but she again felt something in her throat. She rolled her eyes at herself and made her way to the bathroom. However, this time she didn't make it in time. She violently threw up in the middle of the hallway, directly on the hardwood floor. She felt tears coming from her eyes, and she ran to get a mop. However, at the end of the hallway, a gentle but firm hand stopped her. She looked up to see that Murdoc had gotten a hold on her. She looked at him and felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment.

"You go eat your food and get some rest, I'll clean this up," he said. She opened her mouth to protest but he shushed her and sent her on her way. She smiled thankfully and resumed her position on the couch. The soup was warm and delicious, despite who it was cooked by. She snuggled on the couch while watching her favorite movie. Eventually, she fell asleep.

She woke up later, and looked around. She was no longer in her room, but on a familiar patch of grass. It was lush and comfortable beneath her, as looked around at her setting. She was on the windmill tower. She was very excited, she loved this island, but Murdoc didn't like her being on it and ruining the set and Russell though that it was dangerous. She looked around at the setting sun, and a warm light shone on her. She looked down at her clothing, which was some black high-waisted shorts and her favorite striped shirt.

But then, the clouds began to form. Black clouds. They swallowed the mellow sky and made way for chaos. She saw two shapes among them, slowly moving closer and closer to her. She made out the shapes to be helicopters, and it looked like they wanted to hit her! She got up and sprinted towards the windmill tower, but it was too late. The helicopters had already gotten to it, and it was engulfed in flames before she could reach it. She looked around frantically, but there was nowhere to hide. She looked back towards the helicopters, which were getting closer. Then, everything went black.

Flashes. Flashes of light, death, fire, and a strange figure dressed in all black who had a gas mask on. She tried to shut her eyes but the figure kept appearing. Soon, the flashes were gone, and she found herself somewhere new.

A black room, with hundreds of thousands of seats facing her. They were all occupied by many different men, all dressed in striped clothing. They looked like pirates, she decided. In the front, she noticed, was him. The strange figure she had seen flashing before her. Her attention was then captured by a bright light shining above her.

Oh no. She thought. I'm onstage. The hundreds of thousands of people there were all watching her. They had come to see her. She turned around, hoping to find another clue on the bottom of the stage. What she saw terrified her. All four of her friends, 2D, Murdoc, and Russell were all trapped in glass cylinders, with 2D's being taller and skinnier, Murdoc's being rather short, and Russell's being wide. These chamber's had all been for her friends. They were made for them.

They were banging on the windows, clearly trying to escape, but the ringleader, the strange man, gave them no mercy. She heard his sharp, twisting voice play over loudspeakers in her ears. "These chambers will fill with poisonous gas that people can live only 1 minute in. You will have precisely that long to decide this." A smoke key suddenly appeared in her hand. "This will unlock and save only one of your friends, before it disappears. Your time starts… NOW!" She had tears in her eyes as she stared at the glass cases. She would have to choose one of them.

All of their eyes looked desperately at her as the chambers started to fill with glass. This has to be a dream. It has to. BUT WHY DOES IT FEEL SO REAL?! She looked to 2D first. His 8-Ball eyes stared back at her, tears glistening as an outer layer. She thought of everything he'd done with her. When she first came here he was her best friend. Clumsy, yes, but kind and funny and just the best person. He was her best friend, and she did not want to give that up. She looked over to Murdoc. Yes, he was a douche, but he helped her when she needed it the most. When her first guitar was broken, he bought her a new one. He comforted her when she was having a hard time, and he taught her how to play so many new instruments to get her mind off of her demons. She looked finally to Russell. Her father figure. He was her everything. Literally, he taught her everything. Her mind wandered to when he taught her how to ride a bike, and healed the cut she received when she fell off of it. Her eyes were watering like they never had before.

They all started to choke on the gas, still banging on the cases, trying to escape. Noodle felt so powerless. She couldn't choose between them! 5…. 4…. 3…. 2…. 1…..

She was swallowed by darkness again.

She bolted up in a cold sweat, tears still streaming from her eyes. Murdoc sat closely next to her, in a chair next to the couch. He had an expression of permanent fear on his face, watching her toss and turn and scream and cry like that. He put a cooling hand on to her sweaty forehead, her hair matted to her head. She turned to face him, her emerald eyes clouded. She tried to speak, but she couldn't say anything. She fell back onto the couch, her face frozen in shock. Murdoc was the first to talk.

"I-I-I tried to wake you up, but you wouldn't," he said apologetically. She didn't even notice this. She jumped forward and hugged him like she would never see him again. She didn't want to let go. She couldn't see, but he smiled. She finally detached, and tried to talk.

"You…. and Toochee… and Russ… I couldn't decide who could live…" She was confused over her words, but Murdoc got it instantly. He had been having the same dreams for the past months. He held her hand and pulled her up into his arms as she got over the shock. He then put her down and picked up the bowl that once held the soup, and brought it back into the kitchen. He then returned to the Living Room. Noodle seemed to have gathered herself, as she was now sitting up taller, and no longer had that face of shock on her face.

She wanted to tell him the story, but he pressed a finger to his lips. "I already know," he whispered. She looked at him with confusion, as she didn't understand, but she didn't ask any questions. Instead, she smiled.

"You know Murdoc," she said. " I do feel a lot better than I did this morning. How about we go get rid of some zombies?" She smiled cheekily and he returned it.

They knew the day would end well.

 **That was IT! I completely lost motivation at the end, so that's why it got all choppy, but I was eager to keep posting. I hope you enjoyed! PLEASE REVIEW I NEED FEEDBACK! Thanks guys!**


	4. Chapter 4

One-Shot #4: Meeting Sydney

(Phase 2)

 **Hey Guys! I'm sorry if the last chapter was lacking, I didn't like it very much. I have just been having a hard time finding inspiration for my chapters. So, if you guys have some suggestions that you think I should write, definitely tell me! You can review and put your ideas in that, or you could PM me. Also, you'll probably notice that I changed Sydney's age to be older, and I know that the timing makes absolutely no sense, but I wanted to make her more mature than what I originally intended. Thanks, and I hope that you enjoy this next chapter! Let's go!**

2D looked outside through the window of Kong Studios, his mind focused on the heavy rain falling and making noises on his windows. He subtly smiled. He loved the sound so much, it was so soothing to him. He watched the dripping rain fall on the windows, and saw the larger drops form into small dots on the glass, then slowly drip down and collect at the bottom of the window frame.

He was alone for the weekend, as Murdoc was out on a "business trip" (2D just assumed that he was going out to bars and sleeping with women), and Noodle and Russell had taken a trip back to New York together so that Russell could visit his hometown and see his friends. Stuart sighed and diverted his gaze from the window back to his bedroom door. He got up from the beanbag chair and began to walk towards it, as he figured he might get a snack and watch a movie.

After his long and lanky limbs tripped over piles of clothes and trash, he made his way out of the room, through the car park, and up the stairs. He looked around the kitchen and sighed. Piles of dirty dishes, empty rum bottles, and a bunch of Noodle's toys were sitting in the room, scattered everywhere. How was he supposed to find anything in this dump? (It was quite a hypocritical thought, as his room was the messiest in the entire studio, but he was much more used to it.) He eventually found a microwave popcorn box and decided that it would do. He shuffled his hand around in it until he felt the plastic wrapping, and pulled it out.

Lighting began to strike outside as he shoved the unwrapped popcorn into the microwave. He could hear it loudly popping, and he could smell the buttery flavor as it aerated around the room. He heard the soft beeping noise, and pulled the steaming bag out of the microwave. He poured it into a large bowl, and walked towards the den. Thankfully, this room was much less messy than the kitchen.

He pulled out a small disc from it's box (He was watching a rather stuffy Romantic movie, which he honestly did not care for. However, after Murdoc's recent outburst, that was one of the only movies that wasn't shattered or in the garbage.) Although he could still hear the movie playing softly, his gaze still drew itself to the loud rain hitting the window. Just then, he heard a loud knock on the door.

Curious, he picked up the remote and paused the movie, lifted the popcorn from his lap, and got up to answer the door. The hallway leading up to it looked long and scary as the lighting struck again, followed by loud claps of thunder. He placed his hand on the cold doorknob, and twisted. The door flew open, smacking the person who opened it in the face. The cold winds flew into the room, allowing for some of Noodle's drawings to scatter all over the floor.

2D straightened himself, rubbing his cheek where the door had made impact with his face. He looked around, hoping to find a clue to who had knocked on the door, but there was nothing at eye level. However, he found success as he looked down to the floor.

A small girl, looking about 11 or 12, was leaned up against the door frame on the outside of the house. She had a puncture mark on her neck, and looked like she was in a deep sleep. Whoever left her here must have drugged her, he thought as he stared at the mysterious child. Her hair was covered by a dark hoodie with a Black Sabbath album cover on it. She was wearing some uncomfortable looking wet jeans, and dirty black gym shoes. However, her face was round and sweet, and her eyebrows had an unnatural bluish color. Sitting next to her was a basket with a blanket and a note.

2D was startled by the scene in front of him, but he did his best to stay calm. He picked up the soaking note and unfolded it. Inside, printed neatly and largely, was this note:

 _Dear Stu:_

 _I know that you probably don't want to hear from me after what I did, and I know that you are probably really confused right now. What I did was unspeakable, and I know that you don't want to forgive me. But, I really need your help right now. Because the girl you are looking at is your daughter, Sydney._

2D looked up in shock. He felt like he was going to pass out on the spot. Him, a parent?! How? Why? He had so many questions, but he knew that none of them would be answered anytime soon. He reopened the note and continued to read, hoping for some of his questions to be given answers.

 _She is a sweet little girl, and I am ashamed that I couldn't take care of her. But I know that you have the money and assets to do it. Please take her. She is so much like you and she was very excited to meet you._

 _From, Paula Cracker._

 _P.S. I gave her a bit of medicine, it will be a couple of hours until she wakes up. Also, I don't know why her hair is like that. I know that your hair isn't genetic, but it just grew that way._

2D rolled his eyes. She thought that he was stupid, didn't she? Thought that she could coax him into taking her child, and respecting her? He knew that all of those kind words she had said were all for show. However, he knew it also wouldn't do any good to leave this freezing child outside. He put the note back in the basket, hung it on his arm, and then scooped up the child to take her inside.

Now that he could focus, he noticed that this child had some rather strange features. She was smaller than average, and had almost white skin, it was so pale. She looked thin, like she hadn't eaten in weeks. Also, he remembered that Paula had said something about her hair in her note. He lifted off the hoodie to reveal bright, azure colored hair, that was rather similar to his own.

Well at least now I know that she's my kid, he thought. He brushed a little bit of it away from her eyes, and gave a slight smile. He carried her down the hallway, and through the car park. He carefully hovered through his room, trying not to trip. He laid her down on his unmade bed and began to think.

 _What the fuck am I supposed to do with this kid? I don't know how to cook for a kid, let alone raise them! I wish Russell were here. He would know what to do. I don't have much of a choice, I don't want to put her up for adoption, 'cause that's just cruel._ He looked back to the sleeping child and made up his mind. I'm gonna be the best dad she could ever want. His attention was captured as the small child stirred, it looked like she was waking up. He propped himself up taller in his chair. He watched as she opened her eyes and sat up. She rubbed her neck, as she was clearly in a lot of pain. He then noted her eyes.

One of her eyes was brown, with black speckles in it. Her other eye was the same, but part of it was striped with blue. She looked at him fearfully, backing slowly away from him. He noticed this and tried to comfort her. "Hey," he said timidly. "There's no need to be afraid." Realization struck her as she slowly began to ease herself into the situation.

"Dad?" She asked, her voice cracking and weak. He nodded his head at her, giving her a toothless grin. She gave a timid smile back to him. He chuckled at her rather pretty appearance, he couldn't believe that this girl was his daughter. She shivered a bit, as she was obviously very uncomfortable and cold. He realized that he still hadn't brought her anything to keep her warm, so he stood up.

"You stay 'ere," he said. "I'm gonna get you some dry clothes." She nodded in approval, and he trudged back up the stairs to Noodle's room. They were about the same size, so he figured that he could give her some of Noodle's clothes until he could go out to buy her some of her own. He picked out a red shirt with grey sweatpants, and started down the stairs. However, he dropped the clothes when he heard an ear-piercing screech. He rushed towards the sound, only to be confronted by the sight of Sydney wielding a gun and shooting at several zombies that had entered the room through the windows. 2D could only stare at her, open mouthed and in shock. When they were all dead on the floor, she put the gun back in it's holster on her hip and looked back at 2D.

She had a split and bloody lip and there was a bad black eye forming at the top of her cheek. She wiped her sleeve across her mouth and spoke. "I always keep a gun on my belt, you have no idea the things she did to me." He just nodded in understanding, while she got up to go clean her lip off.

"Wait," 2D said. She whipped her head around to look at him. "I brought you some clothes, thought you might need them." He smiled at her, and she gratefully accepted the clothing. But then, another question rose in his head. "What kind of things did Paula do to you?" He instantly regretted saying this, as her face fell and she looked down at her feet. But then, she looked up at him and smiled cheekily.

"You have no clue how many men she tried to sell my virginity off to," she said simply. He smiled. She had a little bit of his cockney accent, but mostly sounded American like Paula. "Every single one of them got a bullet to the foot." He was surprised, but mostly amazed at the kid's aim. She had shot each one of those zombies down on her first try. She exited towards the bathroom to get changed. 2D decided that he would take this opportunity to call up Russell and ask about what he should do with the kid.

2 DAYS LATER….

2D took the rest of the weekend to spend time with his newly discovered daughter. He decided not to tell Murdoc, as he would probably stab him through the phone. However, Russell was surprisingly very supportive of him and told him what to do with Sydney through text. Thank goodness she could cook, and very well too. 2D was surprised, her food was almost as good as Russell's!

He learned more about Sydney herself. He learned about her past with Paula, and how she was practically a maid to her. He learned about her taste in music, he had no idea that she knew all about Gorillaz! And she had no idea that her father was the lead singer in the band. She also listened to Black Sabbath, The Clash, and The Human League.

She learned more about her father as well. She told him all about his friends, and she was very excited to meet them. Well, everyone except Murdoc. She couldn't wait to scare the shit out of him with all of her pranks that she was so used to pulling. Russell sounded like a nice guy, and as for Noodle, she couldn't wait to have a friend that was her age.

Today was the day. She would get to meet everyone, and she was rather nervous. What if they don't like me? She thought. What if they hate me because of what my mom did to their friend. She fiddled with her hands as she waited by the door. All three of them would be walking through the door any second now. (Russell and Noodle had to pry Murdoc out of one of his bars, so they were all coming home together.) Just then, the door opened.

In walked 3 new figures: One of them was very large, and she identified this as Russell. He was a large, African-American man with milky, glowing white eyes. His eyes were quite scary to most, but she thought that he looked nice. There was a small Japanese girl who looked about her height, who was wearing a red shirt with jeans. She predicted that this was Noodle, and she got a bit more excited. However, that excitement washed away quickly after seeing the last person. A shorter man, about 5' 6", who had a slight greenish-toned skin color. He was dressed in all black, with a gold inverted cross hanging around his neck, and he had a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

His mismatched eyes were drawn to her, and she glared at him. He looked taken aback that there was another person in the house, and he turned towards the stairs. "HEY! FACEACHE!" He yelled. "WHO'S THE KID?! WHO THE FUCK IS SHE AND WHY IS SHE IN THE HOUSE?!" Almost out of nowhere, she felt anger rising in her. She was seeing red. How dare he call her father that? After how nice her newly discovered dad had been to her? She stomped over to him, and grabbed onto his turtleneck, pulling his head down to her level.

"How… Fucking… Dare… You… Call… My Father THAT." She whispered firmly to him.

"What do you mean 'dad'?" Murdoc answered, now looking more confused than annoyed.

All at once, 2D walked down the stairs, only to be met by Murdoc's furious gaze. "He-hey Mudz," He said quietly.

30 MINUTES LATER…

It had been a few minutes since Murdoc's big outburst, and everyone was tense. Currently, Sydney was being restrained by Russell and Noodle inside a room. She could hear her father's cries of pain as Murdoc punched him in every single place he could. She had tears forming in her eyes as she heard Murdoc leave the room. Almost immediately after she rushed towards the entryway, only to be confronted with a hideous scene.

Her dad was sprawled over the floor, his hair matted with blood. He had bruises covering every inch of skin that he had, and he had cuts and slash marks all over his face and neck. He had two black eyes, and he had one huge gash on his side. She gasped and screamed for Russell and Noodle. They rushed into the room, only to see Sydney crying on the floor next to her unconscious father. Immediately, Russell snatched her up and took her away from the sight, while Noodle dragged him over to the couch to mend his wounds. She cried and kicked and screamed to be brought back to her dad, but it was no use. Russell had arms of steel. Her hair fell in front of her face.

Finally, Russell set her down in the kitchen, distracted with finding the first aid kit. She quietly sneaked out, no longer intent on finding her father, but now she wanted to find Murdoc. She remembered her dad telling her something about his Winnebago, so she decided to look there. Sure enough, she found him lying on a couch-like bed with a bottle of rum in his hand.

"OI! You! Get the fuck out of my winne!" But she didn't listen, and instead strode over to him, her eyebrows scrunched together. She pulled out the gun hidden on her waistband, and aimed it at his head. His eyes widened in shock.

"You ever do that to my father again," she said. "Just remember this." She gestured towards the gun. Satisfied with her scaring-the-shit-out-of-Murdoc session, she left the Winnebago and re-holstered the gun. She sprinted back up to the living room, to find Noodle wrapping bandages around her father's abdomen. She saw her fumbling with the gauze, and decided to step in.

"Here, let me help you." Noodle was a bit startled, as she hadn't seen Sydney enter the room, but she handed her the gauze. Sydney worked quickly and rather effectively, when she was done wrapping the bandages it looked like a real doctor had done it.

"Wow, how did you do that?" Noodle inspected the job, impressed.

"Paula used to beat me a lot, I have experience mending wounds," she said simply.

Noodle was taken aback. She… she was 2D's daughter with PAULA? She was in shock. She couldn't believe that Russell hadn't told her about that part. She got up, determined on finding Russell.

10 MINUTES LATER…

2D had woken up, and Noodle brought everyone to the living room (Well, everyone except Murdoc). 2D could barely move, so they had to bring out the dreaded wheelchair and wheel him into the room. They decided it was time for some proper introduction. Everyone introduced themselves, and they all learned more about each other. Everyone was astounded by Sydney's stories, she had had a very rough childhood.

Noodle and her went to watch a movie immediately after the talk, and 2D and Russell smiled at each other. They were excited to have another girl in the house. 2D still had a lot to learn, but he would pull through.

Somehow.

 **Alright! So there's the new chapter. I hope that you guys enjoyed! PLZ PLZ PLZZZZZ REVIEW! I haven't gotten any response and I could really use some feedback. Thanks!**


	5. Chapter 5

One-Shot #3: Watching Ships Go By

(Phase 3)

 **HEYYYYYY ALL THE PEOPLE! I hope that you liked my last chapter. Listen up! I know that the character Sydney's age makes no sense right now, especially because in my first chapter I said that she was about 10 when she was killed, but I wanted to make her older and more mature 'cause I think that she should be more badass than childish. SOOOOO anyway I hope that you guys enjoy this next chapter, it was a burden to write. Let's Go!**

Her eyes faded in and out of focus as she stared up at the ceiling. There was a water stained patch there, which she had yet to fix. Droplets of the cold liquid dripped onto her torso as she continued to stare at it. 'This is stupid.' She thought. 'I'm 16 now, I should know how to fix a simple leak.' She looked at the clock. It read: 2:39 AM. She sighed, swinging her long and nimble legs over the side of her too-small bed and set her bare feet onto the cold floor below her.

She sadly looked at her feet. She missed her father. She was only allowed to talk to him when they were recording their songs, and Murdoc always ushered them into the booth before they could say a word. She looked down at the floor. She hated Murdoc. How dare he keep her father locked in a room! And with his worst fear? It just made things all the worse. She wished she could go see him.

Then it struck her. 'Why don't I go see him?' She pulled a small bobby pin out of her long azure-colored hair to go pick the lock. She had taught herself how to do it when she was younger, to escape the cell-like room her mother had trapped her in. She remembered the haven she felt as she stepped outside and put her feet on the cool grass. That is, until her mom had noticed her disappearance and shoved her back inside. She scowled as she remembered her mother. "Bitch." She whispered to herself in the semi-darkness of her underwater room.

She stood up, eyes finally adjusting to the dark. She made her way cautiously to the white door. She could see the paint chipping off of it, and she went out of her way to pick off some of the shards of the dried stuff. It fell to the floor and crumbled next to her feet. She slipped quietly through the semi-ajar door, making sure not to move the creaky door. Murdoc's room was right across from hers, and she anticipated walking by it. She held her breath, and tiptoed as silently as she could. Thankfully, she heard no shuffling behind the metal door. She continued to move down the long and creepy hallway, passing by all of the collaborators doors. The only noise she heard was the soft playing of music behind Daley's door.

She stopped at the last door. It was a large grey door, with the word 'STAIRS' printed on it in bright red lettering. She knew that this was her stop. Thank goodness the door was well oiled and mostly silent, if it wasn't it would have sounded like a garage door opening and it would have woken everybody in the place up. She glided down the stairs, stepping as lightly as she could. When she reached the bottom level, she opened up the door that would lead to another hallway. She started down it, her feet slightly sticking to the cold floors. At the end of the hallway, the last door sat slightly ajar. She was startled by what she heard.

Soft crying sounded from behind the door. A gruff voice could be heard screaming profanities. Several crashes of things falling and someone being slammed against the wall could be heard by Sydney, who was waiting in shock behind the door. She hid silently behind the hinges, and crouched down in the shadows. Whoever had the gruff voice left, not glancing back at her. They slammed the door open hard, hitting Sydney, but she had to stay silent. They stomped out of the room, boots slamming against the floor with much force. She held her breath until she presumed they were up the stairs. She stood up, and checked to see if anyone else was out there. She found only blank silence.

She then immediately rushed inside of the room, seeing only the sight she expected to see. Her father was curled up in a ball, his 8 ball eyes white with fear. He had bruises all over his face, and blood was gushing from his nose and cheek. He looked back up at her, and tried to force a smile. But all he could do was wince in pain, his jaw hurt like a bitch. Sydney kneeled down next to him, only looking at him with a worrying frown. He didn't fight it when she helped him up and laid him down on his bed.

She mended his wounds, putting ointment on all of his bruises, and patching up the cuts on his face. He then started to talk to her. "You have no idea how much I missed you," he said as she added some more gauze to his lower back. "I can't believe Murdoc is trying to isolate me away from my own daughter."

Sydney scoffed after hearing this. "Please. I can believe it. He's a lying, old-ass shit whore who is trying to ruin your life. I can believe that he would do something like this. Remember when I first met you? He didn't leave an inch of skin on your body without a bruise!" 2D nodded as he remembered it. The look of pure horror on her face as he drifted in and out of consciousness. That was only the first time she had ever seen him get beaten by Murdoc. She would have to endure more of her father's pain-filled yells later on in life. She then broke his memory train as she asked another question. "Why the hell did he even do this to you?"

"I just asked to see you." He responded. "I just asked him really quietly, but then he did this and threatened to sic' that dumbass whale on me." She froze at this. This had happened because of her. Now, her worry had molded into anger, like clay into a different shape.

"Wait here," she said. "I'll be back in a few." He nodded as she left the room.

Her face was bright red. Her feet stomped on the floor, so loudly that every single person in the mansion could hear her footsteps. She no longer cared if they could hear her or not, in fact she wanted them to see what was about to go down. The stairs rattled under her calloused, strong but bare feet. She threw open the door, to be met with curious but tired gazes from all of the collaborators. She moved past them in a way that reminded them of a prisoner being held with a steel ball and chain.

She threw open Murdoc's door with so much power that it broke through the plaster covering the wall. Murdoc was lying on his bed, and he immediately turned over to stare at her in shock. He didn't have any time to react before she pulled a gun to his head. He wasn't sure where it came from, and he dared not ask. She was looking at him with such fury, such unbroken hate that he swore her eyes were like daggers, staring down at him as he looked at her with pure terror.

"How. Could. You," her voice cracked and broke with hurt and rage. His gaze softened as he saw tears forming in her eyes. Tears of sadness. "He just wanted to see his daughter. Just asked to see me. DO YOU KNOW HOW GUILTY HE FEELS?!" Murdoc was startled by her sudden rage. "Noodle is gone, and I'M the only thing he has left to love in life. And you just nearly KILLED him! DO YOU EVEN CARE ABOUT HIM?!" She started crying more now, and she dropped to her knees, lowering the gun but never letting go of it. Her arms fell limp at her sides. "Do you even understand what it's like to have a fucking family? Do you know how it feels to lose someone you love?"

He looked off into the distance. Then, suddenly, he spoke. "No."

She was shocked. Why hadn't he gotten angry? Why hadn't he beat the shit out of her like she anticipated? He stood up, hunched over, eyes glazed and tired. He got up, and walked past her like she didn't exist. Her head turned, as he walked distantly out the door. She followed him in close pursuit, not wanting him to get near her father. Strangely, however, he passed by the stair door, not even looking at it. He made his way outside, and to the beach. His bare feet grazed the shore, while the sounds of water splashing played on a loop in the background.

Sydney noticed his expression. He no longer looked angry, or frustrated, or upset. He looked almost….

Peaceful.

He looked peaceful, just standing there in just his jeans, rum bottle dropped and sinking into the sand next to him. She walked up beside him, and watched the same scene he was viewing. The ocean water glistened in the moonlight, while the waves crashed against the ugly, pink plastic rocks. The droplets sprayed on her face lightly. It was dead silent. She looked over to Murdoc. His face was softened, and Sydney decided he looked better that way. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a red lighter.

She watched as his dirty but skilled fingers quickly ignited the cigarette that was hanging in his mouth. He then held a cig and the lighter out to her. She had never smoked before, but she took them anyway. She held it up to her mouth, and lit the end with the lighter. She took a long drag from it, as she remembered something that Russell told her.

FLASHBACK

"NO!" He said again. "And that's final. Syd, those things are cancer sticks!" He looked at a 13 year-old Sydney with frustration. "I don't want you to get addicted like the rest of us! So give the cig back to Murdoc, and move on!" She pulled a sour face at him, and threw the stick at Murdoc, not caring if it hit him.

She stormed out, upset. Why does he treat her like a child? She was 13. She could do what she wanted.

FLASHBACK ENDS

She remembered how pissed she had been when he yelled at her for trying to smoke her first cigarette, and now she was defying him. He was more like her father than her father was, he was almost like a big brother to her. A single, lonely tear fell from her eye as she remembered him. Suddenly, she felt a wash of shame that ended at the tip of the cigarette she held in her cold fingers.

Although she might never see Russ again, that didn't mean that she could forget the morals he had taught her over the years. She let the cig in her hand slip through her fingers, and it put itself out as the thin sheet of water washed over it. Normally, Murdoc would have yelled at her, telling her that it was a perfectly good cig and that it costed money. However, he was remembering Russ too.

He never wanted to give her that cigarette. Although she hated him, he actually cared for her quite a bit. She resented him with every part of her being, and he knew this quite well. But deep down, Murdoc had a soft spot, and he really cared about her and her health. He knew that there was something wrong with him. But he didn't want the same for her. He remembered when he first got to know her. She was such a sweet and innocent child, corrupted by Paula's brutal and vile ways. He saw her as someone like him, who hadn't had the greatest childhood. Who hadn't been spoiled with toys. Who would come home some days and would never have food. She was like him.

"Why did you do it?" A soft, weak, and shaky voice said. His cold heart nearly broke when he looked back to see Sydney in tears, her mouth slightly open. She looked like she had been trying to stay strong, but broke. He shrugged lightly. Her voice cracked as she raised her tone and asked again, "Why do you do it?"

"I don't know," a deep, gruff voice responded. She looked at him. His face was stern, the lines and tired wrinkles on his face seemed much more prominent. "I guess it's just in my nature. I didn't exactly have the greatest upbringing." She looked at him with curiosity. She was mentally asking him what he meant. "Look kid," he said. "I'm only gonna tell this once. So listen up." He sat down on the shore, and she sat down next to him.

"When I was a baby, my mum decided that she didn't want me. She left me on the doorstep of my father's house in Stoke-On-Trent, 'cause she didn't give a shit about my well-being." He looked pained as he told her this, like the words coming out of his mouth were stabbing him in the heart. "I grew up being abused by my drunk dad, he would hit me and kick me whenever I got in his sights. My brother Hannibal, the little shit, would hit and kick me with his friends until I couldn't move." He gave a soft, humorless laugh. "I wonder what he's thinking now that he sees me here today."

He continued, "Anyway, I never had any friends to play with, or anyone besides myself and my bass. I would play it every day, blast it through the soundproof room so loud that I couldn't hear the screaming and moans coming from my dad's room." He looked back towards the water, seeming more distant than ever. "When I was 9, he sold off my virginity to a woman in a diner. Quite a hot bird she was, but as a kid I was terrified. When I was 11, things changed. He nearly killed me." Sydney's eyes widened in surprise.

"He got high, too high, with some of his friends. He broke the lock on my room, and strangled me. If it wasn't for my prick of a brother, I would be dead. He saved my ass just because he needed someone to push around." There was something in his voice, she realized, that was unfamiliar for him. It sounded almost like… hurt.

"Anyway, I got the fuck out o' dodge as soon as I could. Ran away, with nothing but my C-D player, my bass, and the hopes and dreams of a musician." He sighed. "After that, I did the best I could. I tried to form a lot of bands, but none of them ever got to here. None of them were like Gorillaz." She realized something that she would have never realized before. This band wasn't just a way to earn money. Sure, that was a bonus, but this band meant something more to him. It was the only thing he could hang onto after his childhood. It was him.

"And yet," he said, "Here we are. Making a new album with only half the band. The other half have been replaced by machines." Tears glistened subtly in his eyes as he remembered Noodle. What a cheerful, sweet, and creative girl, only to be destroyed and missing because of his mistakes. Where was she now? He had no idea. He had guiltily replaced her with a robot. An unfeeling imposter. Some days, he liked to pretend that she was the real Noodle. He would talk to her, tell her about his problems. However, he knew that it wasn't the same.

And Russel. He was the family's bond. The glue that held them together. He would break up the fights when they got too intense, he adopted Noodle into the family, and helped them all to learn from their mistakes. But now that bond was gone. They were falling apart, and Murdoc knew it. He knew that he was holding onto the scraps of a broken family, anything that he could salvage from the ashes of the band. He wished they could go back to the old days, when Noodle was just a little girl. When he could have spent time with her instead of shutting her out. Shutting everybody out. He had replaced the only family that he had ever had. But he knew it wasn't working. Hell, he was holding the last remaining piece of their music captive in an underwater room with his worst fear, forcing him to create music. Sure, it ended up well, but it didn't have the same soul. The drumming was boring and sounded very mechanical, and the guitar was empty, like there was no passion left in the sound. He remembered when Noodle would smile when she was playing, how she would press her tongue against her lip in concentration. She would rock out, bobbing her head up and down and dancing around the room, clutching her Gibson Les Paul. Now, the cyborg would just sit there, her empty eyes staring forward.

He was pulled out of his mental spiral by a soft, gentle hand being placed on his shoulder. He looked up through his clouded, tear ridden eyes to see Sydney smiling softly at him. They had finally made their peace with each other.

 **I Hoped you guys enjoyed, I was going for a less intense chapter. I like the way that the end turned out, because of the humanity of it all. She is accepting that he is an abusive asshole, but she notices that he is still human. They have made their peace. Please review, I want to know what you guys think! Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6

One-Shot #6: Weird Winter Fluff (OC x Noodle)

(Phase 2)

HEEEY guys! I hope that you enjoyed my last chapter! I had a lot of fun writing it. Anyway, I really like writing about this Sydney character. She's so strong, but she breaks. She is a flawed human. Thank you to Dee-Dee Zednem for reviewing my story, I love having feedback. (Please note: I am going to start a ship in this chapter. EEEEEEEEEEEE!) Alright, let's go!

Cars zipped past each other. The tires squeaked as they zoomed and drifted down the corners of streets. One of the car's tires caught on fire. It smashed into a pile of oil barrels and exploded into a tall flower of red and yellow. Sparks flew. The other car kept zipping on, even though their team member had just exploded. They kept moving on, determined on avenging their friend, and winning this race. The soon caught up with their opponent, and passed them just slightly. They were so close to the finish line. They could smell the 2000 dollar prize, as they were just inches away.

Suddenly, the TV turned off. 11 year old Sydney Tusspot and 14 year old Noodle turned around to see what the interruption was. They only saw Russel, who had a remote control pointed at the game device. The girls groaned in unison. "COME OOOOON!" Whined Noodle. "We were about to win!" Sydney nodded her head with Noodle. Russel only threw the remote back onto the couch and folded his arms.

"You guys have to eat lunch," he said sternly. "So come to the kitchen." He strode out of the room, and the girls followed him, still irritated. Seeing their sulking faces, he added, "You can finish the game after lunch." They were used to their games being interrupted, as Sydney had been living with them for about 2 months. They complied reluctantly, and sat down at the table while Russel brought them their food. It was a turkey and cheese sandwich, with a side of grapes. They ate for a bit in silence, until there was no longer food on their plates. They brought them to the sink, and raced each other back downstairs. However, they no longer felt like playing the video game.

"Whaddya wanna do?" Said Sydney. Noodle shrugged. They sat there in thought for a bit, until Sydney had an idea. "How about we walk to the park? It's just a few minutes away," Noodle nodded her head in agreement, and the girls started their journey. They said goodbye to Russel, and set off. The walk was short, but beautiful. It was late winter, and snow blanketed the ground. Their winter boots and jackets were layered on top of each other, as it was very cold out.

The snow glistened in the sun, as their feet left prints in the snow. While Sydney was admiring the trees, Noodle got a very sneaky idea. She scooped up some snow in her hands, and patted it together. When Sydney felt a cold object hit her shoulder and explode, she knew that this meant war. She whipped her head around, and formed a snowball in her hands. She had very good aim, and it hit Noodle directly in the face. Noodle laughed, and Sydney thought that it sounded like a bell. 'Noodle is really pretty when she smiles,' Sydney thought. 'Wait, WHAT?' Sydney was confused about these strange feelings she was suddenly having about her friend. She imagined kissing her under the moon, and the feeling of her soft lips…

She was brought out of her fantasy by another cold shot, and turned around to see Noodle fleeing for her life while laughing hysterically. Sydney smiled, trying to follow her. They twisted along the white pathways, until Noodle suddenly disappeared. Sydney looked around. "Where did you go?"

Noodle smiled softly as she caught her breath. She admired Sydney's pretty face and beautiful hair. She was so amazing… but Sydney probably didn't feel the same about her. 'She probably only thinks of me as a friend.'

"There you are!" She heard a high-pitched voice say as she saw Sydney's hand reach out to help her up. She took it, and pulled herself to her feet. Awkwardly, she found her face only inches away from Sydneys. They looked at each other in silence. Both could see longing, and passion in the other's eyes. They brushed it off, continuing to walk to the park.

When they reached it, both were silent. They were thinking about each other, and why their look seemed so… longing. Both thought, however, that the other did not like them back. They kept walking along the pathways, the dead trees lining them like frozen hands reaching from the grounds below. Suddenly, Noodle stopped as she felt a smaller hand slip into her's. She smiled at Sydney, who had a spacey grin on her face.

Noodle chuckled. She was a spinning image of her father. The same wide smile, the same azure hair, the same button nose, she was so beautiful… shit. 'Stop thinking like that, she's just your friend, and she probably only thinks of you the same way. But damn, she's hot…' That thought was broken when she saw Sydney fall. Her foot caught on a crack in the pavement, and it sent her face-first into the snow.

Noodle quickly bent down and pulled her up, thought it was difficult. It seemed that every time she tried to grasp Sydney's hand, she fell deeper into the snow. She finally got her out, but she was shaking. Her entire outfit was wet, and she had snow on her face and in her hair. She was shaking like a leaf, she was so cold. She looked on the verge of passing out. Noodle helped support her as they trudged back from the park. Clearly, they were in no mood to play in the snow anymore.

Sydney felt completely numb as they stepped through the door of the house. "F-f-f-f-fuck," Sydney whispered weakly, still shaking. Noodle helped her to the couch, handing her a few blankets. Then, she ran up the stairs to get Russel.

"Rasseru! Shidonī wa yuki no naka ni ochite, kanojo wa hijō ni samui desu! Tasuketekudasai!" She screamed at his door. A confused looking Russel emerged, and she realized that he couldn't understand her. Sighing, she said urgently, "Sydney fell in the snow at the park, and now she's super cold! We need you." Russel walked down the stairs to see a freezing Sydney sitting on the couch, too numb to speak. Russel picked her up, and carried her to her room. Noodle followed in close pursuit of his long strides, with a worried look on her face.

He placed her gently on her bed, and brought her some dry pajamas. She accepted them gratefully and shakily went to change. "I'm gonna make some hot chocolate, you two can play a video game." Noodle nodded as Russel left the room. Sydney returned, her hair still wet. She plugged in a blow dryer next to her bed, while Noodle set up the game console. Sydney was still shaking, she was very cold. She turned on the blow dryer and started to dry her hair. She held it up like a gun and pretended to blast it at Noodle, who had retreated to the bed next to her.

"Hey!" Noodle said in mock hurt. She clutched her chest like she had been shot. "How could you do this to me?" She fake-wailed. The girls giggled as the game started. Sydney still shook, and Noodle noticed this. She didn't like seeing her friend so cold. Unconsciously, she felt her arm wrap around Sydney's torso. Sydney froze for a moment, but then relaxed. It felt right.

Sydney nuzzled into Noodle's neck as their fingers moved skillfully over the buttons. Noodle, however, wasn't paying much attention to the game. Neither was Sydney. They could only think about how magical this moment was. They both wanted it to last forever.

As the "Game Over" sign flashed across the screen in red letters, the girls separated. They looked into each other's eyes, both getting lost and mesmerized. Their faces inched closer to each other's, until the spark in between them finally lit into a glorious flame.

Their lips crashed together as Noodle placed a hand on the back of Sydney's neck. She pulled herself closer until Sydney was sitting on her lap. They kissed more deeply (not a French kiss, they're kids for cryin' out loud), until they gradually separated. They breathed heavily and smiled at one another. They pulled themselves together again, and kissed once more, in such a trance that they didn't notice Russel walk in the door.

MEANWHILE….

Russel pushed the door open a crack, only to see… well… an interesting sight. He smiled to himself as the quietly placed the hot cocoa on the table next to the door. The girls didn't even see him, their eyes were closed. He quietly left, hoping that he could get 2D and Murdoc to see them. He walked into the living room and beckoned silently for 2D to come. 2D looked back, confused, but nevertheless followed. Murdoc, interested, followed them close behind, rum bottle still in hand.

Russel pressed a finger to his lips as he quietly opened the creaky door so that they could get a look. The girl's backs were turned, so they didn't see them. 2D gasped and Murdoc looked upset. Not because he didn't want the girls together, but because Russel bet him a month ago that the two girls would kiss. Russel looked at Murdoc smugly, and Murdoc reluctantly reached into his pocket and pulled out a 20 dollar bill. Russel took it, and shoved it into his pocket. They closed the door, 2D still looking dumbstruck. Russel chuckled at his face, he looked super confused.

"Come on, D, they were bound to get together at some point. Have you even seen the ways that they look at each other?" Russel said. 2D just shrugged, trying to accept it.

'It's fine', he told himself in his head. 'Those girls are cute together,' he thought. He smiled slightly at Russel, who only looked at him knowingly. They just stood in the hallway for a bit, trying to take it in. Murdoc just looked surprised, instead of angry like they thought he would be. "Hey Muds," 2D piped up. "What do you think about all this?" Murdoc just shrugged.

"Dunno, those girls are very young, but I feel like it was bound to happen at some point." Russel was surprised by how okay Murdoc was with this. However, he just shrugged it off. Perhaps he just didn't really care.

The days following were… well… interesting. They were all anticipating for Sydney and Noodle to speak up about their relationship. However, the day finally arrived when they were eating dinner one Friday night. The two girls were whispering to each other while they ate, clearly nervous about something. When everyone was finished, the two girls stood up. "We have something to say," said Sydney. She fumbled with her hands. She looked pale and sickly, with sweat leaking from her forehead. Noodle held on to her arm, keeping her from falling over.

Noodle decided that she would hold the conversation. "Well… um… me and Sydney have been spending a lot of time together, and, you know…" Russel, seeing the terrified and worried looks on the girls faces, nodded in understanding.

"We saw you. We just want to let you know that we fully support you two, and that no matter what, we will never do anything to hurt your relationship." 2D looked on the verge of joyful tears when he saw the two girls smile and kiss each other. He was just so happy to see his little girl finally finding her love. After all of those years of abuse and anger, she finally had something to hold onto. To keep in her heart and give her purpose.

AND THAT WAS IT! I hope that you guys enjoyed, it was a lot of fun. Honestly, I think that these two girls are amazing together. SPOILER ALERT! The next two chapters are going to be pretty heartbreaking, in both sorrow and joy. So please stay tuned, and review.


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